What Is Shisha?

Shisha is a Middle-Eastern smoking tradition dating back to around 1542 - 1605 AD and has now become one of the biggest phenomena’s to hit America and UK. The luxurious tradition of smoking in cafes where one can lie on long cushions and spend time talking to friends and catching up has recently been tailored to fit in the environment of smoking areas of UK bars abiding to the recent smoking laws.

The Tobacco itself is soaked in fruit shavings such as strawberry, apples or grapes. This mixture is then smoked through a large water pipe (also called  shisha/hookah/nargile). Men and women of the elite classes in the Arab world have been entertaining guests with hookah pipes for centuries. Moreover, there are hoards of Shisha purists who truly cherish this tradition no less than a Japanese tea Master.

The shisha uses a small charcoal tablets or natural coal to gently heat a special flavoursome tobacco blend. The tobacco itself is not directly burnt, but is filtered as it is drawn through the hand-blown vase filled with water. The vapour is incredibly smooth and aromatic.